Conquer the MDO & Leadership Challenge 2026 – Master Warfighting Skills and Lead with Power!

The Operating Environment is defined by the human dimension that shapes and constrains military action: the people involved or affected, the political context that legitimizes or limits action, and the information environment that drives perception, influence, and decision-making. These three elements—who’s there, what politics frame the mission, and how information flows shape choices, risks, and support more than any physical factor.

Weather, terrain, and logistics belong to the physical and logistical side of operations, not the three elements that define the OE in this framework. Leaders, units, and equipment describe force structure, not the environment in which operations unfold. Strategy, tactics, and operations describe planning and execution levels, not the environmental factors governing action.